GOP Faces New England 'Shutout' in House

Republicans have only one remaining House member from New England — and after November, they may have none.

Rep. Christopher Shays of Connecticut, who took office in 1987, is in a dead heat with his Democratic opponent, Jim Himes. A new poll by the University of Connecticut found that Shays and Himes, a former Wall Street executive, each have 44 percent of the vote.

Shays, who represents an affluent House district containing a number of New York City suburbs, is “part of a dying ideological breed — the ‘moderate Republican,’” the Wall Street Journal reported.

Eleven centrist House Republicans lost or retired in 2006 and another 11 are retiring this year, according to the Journal.

Connecticut’s other four House members are Democrats, as are all 17 of the members from Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire.

Shays joked about a GOP “shutout” in New England: “How can you say you’re a Democrat and you’re for endangered species, and then go after the last Republican in New England?”